# OS X Spotlight: Is there an easy way to reach the directory of a found file?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/os-x-spotlight-is-there-an-easy-way-to-reach-the-directory-of-a-found-file/463473>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 13, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/os-x-spotlight-is-there-an-easy-way-to-reach-the-directory-of-a-found-file/463473 "2008-09-13T19:23:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/os-x-spotlight-is-there-an-easy-way-to-reach-the-directory-of-a-found-file/463473/1 "2008-09-13T19:23:41Z")

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I really like Spotlight, it’s fast and finds what I want. But it also has a gigantic glaring omission that I can’t fathom that Apple overlooked: an easy way to reach the directory that contains the file, without opening the file itself.

For instance, let’s say I want to find an mp3. I type in the name and there it pops up. But I don’t want to open it! Instead, I want to move the file itself to my mp3 player. As far as I can tell, the only way to do this is to click on “Show All” to bring up every freakin result, then manually scroll down the list to the file I want. Cumbersome.

Is there an easier way?

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**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/os-x-spotlight-is-there-an-easy-way-to-reach-the-directory-of-a-found-file/463473/2 "2008-09-13T19:25:08Z")

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Ugh – nevermind. I just decided to mess around in my frustration and turns out you can reach the folder by holding “command” while clicking on the file. Still not very user-friendly – damn Apple’s hatred for right-click!

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/os-x-spotlight-is-there-an-easy-way-to-reach-the-directory-of-a-found-file/463473/3 "2008-09-13T19:41:02Z")

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> [@Red\_Barchetta](#):
>
> Ugh – nevermind. I just decided to mess around in my frustration and turns out you can reach the folder by holding “command” while clicking on the file. Still not very user-friendly – damn Apple’s hatred for right-click!

If you have a modern multi-buttoned mouse, right clicking - even on a Mac - will get you the same thing.

ETA: Oops. I now see that you said “command” and not “control”. Ctrl-left click is the same as a right click on a Mac. Nevermind!